If you are baton twirling for an audience, whether it be a stadium full of football fans or in front of judges at a competition, a costume is mandatory, and your costume should serve two functions: the be easy to move in and to be dazzling! And the best way to make your costume dazzle? To add lots of crystals, of course! Starline Baton, experts in everything related to baton twirling, explain how to crystalize your costume so you can shine bright on stage.

Supplies:

• Flat-back crystals you would like to place on your costume.
• Paper plate.
• Toothpicks.
• Flexible glue of some sort, like E6000 clear adhesive.

Directions:

• Lay your costume out flat and decide where you want your crystals to be attached to your costume. The possibilities are endless, and there are no rules as to where to place them, so let your imagination run wild and play with different designs using the different colors and shapes that are available.
• Lay out your crystals flat-back up on your paper plate.
• Put a medium-sized drop of adhesive on your paper plate opposite the crystals.
• Dab your toothpick in the adhesive and then dab on the back of a crystal to pick it up. Apply the crystal with the toothpick to the costume. Repeat this process until all crystals have been applied.
• If your costume has multiple layers, use a clipboard or large piece of cardboard in between layers to keep from gluing the layers together.
• Once you have applied all the crystals you want on your costume, let them dry for a few hours. Most costumes can be washed after adding crystals on the delicate or handwash cycle in cold water. ALWAYS hang your costume to dry; never dry it in the dryer.

So, there you go...go forth and make your costume stand out from everyone else by adding some properly placed crystals that are sure to add an extra element to your performance. For more tips on baton twirling performing, please browse the rest of the Starline Baton blogs. And if you would like more information on products that we have for the novice to professional baton twirler, contact us at 931-528-7829, or contact us online.

Posted: 3/14/2016